How smart are the masses?

[DS1]

Some would say that a majority of people can't be wrong. Is that true?

Because to me, it seems like quite the opposite most of the time. Jerkoff politicians being elected, the success of Fox News (it wouldn't be so successful if it didn't a large enough audience) and it's liberal equivalent (I'm sure there is one), minorities of people being persecuted for not being like the masses, and the masses easily believing ridiculous myths and superstitions, these are just some examples of the masses not being all that bright. Or maybe I'm supposed to believe that all of the bad things happening in this world is always because of some powerful minority?

Thing is, even if a powerful minority was always to blame, then all it would mean is that the masses are impotent and weak-willed. How is that better than being dumb?

I did read once that slavery was once popular with the masses. Wouldn't surprise me if it was true.

[Cypher]

Theres aliens on the moon who control the information beind procieved around the earth.

Thus by keeping the masses numb they control people in groups, or sheep, who ultimately make stupid choices or uneducated ones and allow these politicians who work with the aliens to allow them to make food out of us and keep us in a stupor.

[just another user]

I wouldn't presume that the average person is less intelligent than I was. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with and choices to make. Some folks have book smarts, some folks have emotional intelligence. We're all different.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Pretty smart in general. People are getting progressively smarter. Go back 100 or 200 years and the average person was just a complete dumbass. The average person today is a lot more intelligent. The effects of income inequality still bring down the curve, we're selfishly starving the development of children and that produces dumber adults. But as that situation improves we'll get even smarter overall, and our great grandkids will look back and call us complete dumbasses.

[Charmed]

I've met pieces of toast smarter than the people I run across daily.

[Prisoner 6655321]

"The Masses" are a (mostly illusionary) shit-ton of people whose intelligence, conscientiousness and
virtue vary. The idea of a collective “mass” doesn't take into account the high level of individuality
between people and creates an alienating us vs the other mentality. Systemic oppression is real and
while various conspiracies exist, many entirely un-obfuscated but these conspiracies are fairly limited
in nature and scope when compared to the vastness of constantly evolving social-historical inertia
which builds the true framework for “the system” (a philosophical machine which consumes human
and natural resources to generate society / culture disproportionately dispersed through a constantly
shifting oligarchy). A mass is a mass of individuals, there are no masses.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The masses are morons. Its a proven fact. The masses can't be right at times.

[CliffHanger2]

The amount of people i see walk into moving traffic daily and get mad when they get beeped says the masses are pretty dumb.

[the4thpip]

The masses are dumb, but lovable. In a carnal sense.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

It's more difficult to communicate with a group than it is with an individual. The masses seem dumb for that reason only.

[the4thpip]

It's more difficult to communicate with a group than it is with an individual. The masses seem dumb for that reason only.

You're one of THEM, aren't you?

[just another user]

The masses are made up of individuals. To think that all those individuals are beneath you seems kinda arrogant.

[Paradox]

just another user doesn't presume:

I wouldn't presume that the average person is less intelligent than I was.

I would. I don't have the slightest hesitation.

Everyone has their own stuff to deal with and choices to make.

What does that have to do with intelligence?

Some folks have book smarts, some folks have emotional intelligence. We're all different.

Emotional intelligence is a meaningless phrase made up by people without the regular kind.

[Fenris]

Usually, terms like "smart" and "dumb" are relative. Who are we comparing the masses to?

I guess you could compare them to groups like MENSA, that are deliberately designed to select for smart people. But it's a bad comparison, precisely because they've been selected on that basis. You could just as easily select a group of low-intelligence people for comparison, and say, "Look! The masses are brilliant!"

I find the term "The masses" a little weird. If you're not
a) A senator,
b) A multi-millionaire, or
c) A Nobel Prize winner;

... then you probably are the masses. Just like all the rest of us.

õ
It's not a bad thing to be!

[Professor Moriarty]

the fact that shows like Hardcore Pawn, Dancing With The Stars, Grey's Anatomy, and The Wendy William's Show are all still on the air proves that the masses are indeed stupid.